City tells biz establishments: Pay taxes or face closure

FROM August to December this year, over 1,000 business establishments in Cebu City were found to have failed to secure business permits and pay their business tax.

If they continue to ignore their responsibilities, the city might be forced to issue closure orders.

Melvin Bacalso, head of the Task Force on Inspection and Investigation of Business Permits, said 1,185 business firms were found to have been operating without business permits, and have not paid their business taxes too.

Bacalso said they will be issuing show-cause orders to the erring establishments, including hotels, restaurants and retail stores, directing them to accomplish their tax obligations.

If they fail to respond to the show-cause orders three days upon receipt, he said the city government will be compelled to shut down their businesses.

The task force was formed last August in line with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s call to run after tax delinquents in the city.

Since its creation, the group has inspected at least 12,545 business establishments in the city, and issued a total of 4,121 show-cause orders.

They also found out that 2,930 companies paid their business tax on time but failed to finish acquiring their business permits.

Records from the City Treasurer’s Office showed that there are over 33,000 registered establishments doing business in Cebu City, considered the center of commerce and trade activities in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Bacalso said they will be doing a final inspection to apprehend erring establishments in the city.

“Most of those who were not able to comply with their tax obligations are located in urban barangays, particularly in the uptown and downtown areas of Cebu City. Some of them are located near big malls and commercial centers,” he added.